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MISSIONARY  HAND-BOOK  NO.  10. 


American  Mm  Missions. 


History  of  the  W Oman's  Missionary 
Society,  M.  E.  Church,  South. 
1878-1892. 


BY  MBS.  ■W.  S-  BLACK. 


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Published  by  Board  Of  Missions,  M..E.  Church,  South. 

FT-  *  5  3  *  '  "  * 

L I  it 

FOR  USE  OF  SUNDAY  SCROOUS,  EPCUORTH  LiEAGUES,  AJ4D 
PERSONS  DESIRING  miSSlO  FIARY  INFORCnATIGN 

roRW 

ADDRESS 

I.  G.  JOHN,  D.D., 

Mission  Rooms,  Nashville ,  Tenn. 


(5ufe)  © 


MISSIONARY  HAND-BOOK. 


This  little  book  is  designed  for  the  use  of  Sunday 
schools,  especially  the  teachers  and  more  advanced 
classes,  Epworth  Leagues,  and  preachers  and  others 
desiring  to  prepare  sermons  or  addresses  who  may  not 
have  access  to  a  missionary  library.  Our  design  is  to 
place  in  a  cheap,  compact,  and  convenient  form  infor¬ 
mation  as  to  the  history  and  operations  of  our  own 
Church,  and  of  the  Societies  and  Boards  at  work  in 
the  mission  field.  It  will  be  published  monthly. 

Terms:  Single  copy,  5  cents;  12  copies,  50  cents;  for 
one  year,  50  cents. 

Will  mail  them  to  Sunday  schools  and  Leagues,  or 
to  preachers,  for  sale  and  distribution  at  the  above 
figures.  Address 

I.  G.  JOHN,  D.D.. 

NASHVILI.K,  TENN, 


Mission  Rooms, 


MISSIONARY  HAND-BOOK  NO.  10 


American  Methodist  Missions. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  WOMAN’S  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY, 
M.  E.  CHURCH,  SOUTH. 

1878-1892. 

BY  AIRS.  W.  S.  BLACK „ 


JANUARY. 

PUBLISHED  BY  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS,  M.  E.  CHURCH,  SOUTH. 

For  Use  of  Sunday  Schools,  Ep  worth  Leagues,  and  Persons 
Desiring  Missionary  Information. 


ADDRESS 

I.  G.  JOHN,  D.D., 

Mission  Rooms ,  Nashville ,  Tenn. 


Copyright,  1893. 


Nashville,  Tenn.: 

Publishing  House  Methodist  Episcopal  CEfcntcn,  SouTn. 
Barbee  &  Smith,  Agents. 

1893. 


MISSIONARY  HAND-BOOK  No.  10. 


This  little  book  is  designed  for  the  use  of  Sunday- 
schools,  especially  the  teachers  and  more  advanced 
classes,  Epworth  Leagues,  and  preachers  and  others 
desiring  to  prepare  sermons  or  addresses  who  may  not 
have  access  to  a  missionary  library.  Our  design  is  to 
place  in  a  cheap,  compact,  and  convenient  form  infor¬ 
mation  as  to  the  history  and  operations  of  our  own 
Church,  and  of  the  Societies  and  Boards  at  work  in 
the  mission  field.  It  will  be  published  monthly. 

Terms:  Single  copy,  10  cents;  12  copies,  $1. 

Will  mail  them  to  Sunday  schools  and  Leagues,  or 
to  preachers,  for  sale  and  distribution  at  the  above 
figures.  Address 

I.  G.  JOHN,  D.D., 


Mission  Rooms, 


NASHVIEEE,  TENN. 


WOMAN'S  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY, 

M.  E,  CHURCH,  SOUTH. 

1878-1892. 


The  great  problem  of  “  woman’s  work  for 
woman”  commenced  its  solution  over  forty- 
three  years  ago.  In  March,  1849,  Dr.  Olin 
preached  a  sermon  before  the  members  of  the 
Baltimore  Conference.  His  home  during 
the  session  of  the  Conference  was  at  the  resi¬ 
dence  of  Mrs.  William  Wilkins,  on  Charles 
Street.  A  lady  friend  of  the  family,  the 
President  of  the  “Female  Auxiliary  of  the 
Foreign  Evangelical  Society,”  stepping  in, 
mission  work  was  discussed,  and  Dr.  Olin  in¬ 
quired  why  she  worked  outside  her  own 
Church. 

“  Because  there  is  no  avenue  for  woman’s 
work  in  the  M.  E.  Church,”  she  replied. 

He  said  with  emphasis:  “  Create  one.” 

“How?  ”  was  asked. 

“Organize  an  association  for  missionary 
effort.” 

“In  what  field? ”  was  the  next  question. 


4  Woman ’s  Missionary  Society, 

“  China  is  now  opened  for  missionary  en¬ 
terprise,”  said  Dr.  Olin.  “Work  for  China; 
form  yonr  society  and  I  will  speak  at  your 
first  anniversary.  ” 

The  outgrowth  of  this  conversation  was  the 
organization  of  the  “  Female  China  Missionary 
Society  of  Baltimore,”  which  was  the  first 
“  woman’s  ”  independent  organization  in  this 
country,  and  from  which  all  kindred  organi¬ 
zations  in  sister  Protestant  Churches  have 
sprung. 

In  1858  came  these  words  from  Dr.  Went¬ 
worth,  then  missionary  to  China — a  sentiment 
then  first  brought  to  view,  now  occupying  the 
foreground  of  mission  work:  “ China  needs 
an  army  of  women,  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives, 
if  need,  he,  for  their  own  sex”  The  result  of 
this  appeal  w~as  the  establishment  of  the 
“Baltimore  Female  Seminary”  in  Soochow, 
China.  Soon  after  the  war  a  society  was  or¬ 
ganized  by  the  ladies  of  Trinity  Church,  Bal¬ 
timore,  called  “Trinity  Home  Mission,” 
which  was  soon  changed  to  the  name  of 
“The  Woman’s  Bible  Mission  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  South.” 

In  April,  1872,  organization  upon  a  broader 
basis  was  effected,  membership  dues  fixed  at 
2  cents  per  week,  or  $1  per  annum,  and 


A L  E.  Church ,  South 


5 


arrangements  made  for  holding  regular  meet¬ 
ings.  The  visits  of  Mrs.  J.  W.  Lambuth,  of 
missionary  fame,  to  this  society  in  1876  in¬ 
creased  the  interest  in  and  contributions  to 
the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions. 

In  April,  1874,  largely  through  the  zeal  and 
effort  of  Mrs.  M.  L.  Kelley,  some  of  the  Metho¬ 
dist  women  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  formed  them¬ 
selves  into  an  organization  known  as  a  “  Bible 
Mission”  with  two  distinct  objects:  one,  to 
furnish  aid  and  Bible  instruction  to  the  poor 
and  destitute  of  the  city;  the  other,  to  send 
pecuniary  aid  to  foreign  missionary  fields. 
This  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  in  three 
years,  besides  securing  a  home  for  the  poor 
of  the  city,  and  originating  the  “Mission 
Home”  (an  institution  for  the  benefit  of  fall¬ 
en  women),  contributed  $3,000  for  the  Chris¬ 
tian  elevation  of  the  women  of  China.  To 
this  work  Mrs.  Kelley  dedicated  her  every 
treasure:  prayers,  labor,  money,  friends, 
child,  grandchild.  She  died  October  27, 
1877,  nearly  seventy-two  years  old.  Her  last 
message  to  her  granddaughter,  who,  as  the 
wife  of  a  missionary,  had  just  set  sail  for 
China,  was:  “  Hold  out  to  the  last  for  Jesus!  ” 

A  similar  society  was  about  the  same  time 
organized  at  Warren,  Ark.,  and  in  1876  an- 


6  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

other  at  Broad  Street  Church,  Bichmond,  Va.; 
others  at  Mineral  Springs  and  Pine  Bluff, 
Ark.,  Glasgow,  Mo.,  Macon,  Ga.,  Louisville 
and  Morganfield,  Ky.,  and  Franklin,  N.  C. 
In  New  Orleans,  La.,  a  society  of  ladies  had 
for  several  years  been  working  for  the  Mexi¬ 
can  Mission.  The  interest  in  woman’s  work 
in  Missions  seemed  increasing  throughout 
Southern  Methodism.  In  flourishing  Church¬ 
es,  in  sparsely  settled  districts,  unaided  often 
save  by  the  guidance  and  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  the  women  were  organizing 
themselves  into  Missionary  Societies,  until 
1878  found  more  than  twenty  Woman’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Societies  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  South, 
doing  specific  work.  In  May,  1878,  acting 
under  this  growing  impulse,  a  number  of 
representative  women  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
South,  met  in  Atlanta,  Ga.,  during  the  session 
of  the  General  Conference,  which  body,  under 
God,  answered  the  prayers  of  his  “hand¬ 
maidens”  by  organizing  the  Woman’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South, 
under  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution  in¬ 
corporated  in  the  Discipline,  the  bishops  and 
Missionary  Secretaries  appointing  a  General- 
Executive  Association  to  be  governed  “  there¬ 
after  as  by-laws  and  regulations  to  be  adopt- 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


7 


ed  by  the  Association  shall  provide;  and  Con¬ 
ference  Societies,  to  be  constituted  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  provisions  of  such  by-laws  and 
regulations.” 

The  following  is  taken  from  the  General 
Conference  Daily  Christian  Advocate ,  May  25, 
1878: 

General  Executive  Association — Officers. 

President. — Mrs.  Juliana  Hayes,  304  North  Strieker 
Street,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Vice  Presidents. — Mrs.  R.  Paine,  Mrs.  G.  F.  Pierce,  Mrs. 
H.  H.  Kavanaugh,  Mrs.  W.  M.  Wightman,  Mrs.  E.  M. 
Marvin,  Mrs.  D.  S.  Dogget,  Mrs.  H.  N.  McTyeire,  Mrs. 
J.  C.  Keener. 

Corresponding  Secretary. — Mrs.  D.  H.  McGavock,  Nash¬ 
ville,  Tenn. 

Treasurer. — Mrs.  James  Whitworth,  101  South  Spruce 
Street,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

Managers. — Mrs.  Frank  Smith,  University  of  Virginia; 
Miss  Melissa  Baker,  Baltimore,  Md.;  Mrs.  R.  M.  Saun¬ 
ders,  Norfolk,  Va. ;  Mrs.  Samuel  Cupples,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.;  Mrs.  Witten  McDonald,  Carrollton,  Mo.;  Mrs.  E. 
E.  Wiley,  Emory,  Va.;  Mrs.  H.  D.  McKinnon,  Mineral 
Springs,  Ark.;  Mrs.  B.  H.  Moss,  New  Orleans,  La.; 
Mrs.  S.  Henderson,  New  Orleans,  La.;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Fos¬ 
ter,  New  Orleans,  La.;  Mrs.  H.  Colquitt,  Atlanta,  Ga. ; 
Mrs.  George  W.  Williams,  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  Mrs.  Dr. 
Lipscomb,  Columbus,  Miss.;  Mrs.  James  Sykes,  Co¬ 
lumbus,  Miss.;  Mrs.  S.  E.  Atkinson,  Memphis,  Tenn.; 
Mrs.  S.  W.  Moore,  Brownsville,  Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Dr.  Hart- 
ridge,  Florida ;  Miss  Maria  Gibson,  Louisville,  Ky. 


8  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

The  previously  mentioned  organizations 
(except  the  one  in  New  Orleans  working  for 
Mexico)  became  auxiliary  to  the  newly  or¬ 
ganized  Society,  turning  over  to  its  care  the 
foreign  work  undertaken  by  them.  By  reso¬ 
lution  the  Board  of  Missions  committed  the 
school  for  girls  in  Shanghai,  China,  under  its 
control,  to  the  care  of  the  new  branch  of  the 
system  of  Missions.  And  thus  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
South,  was  fairly  launched,  with  “  apparatus 
and  the  openings  for  carrying  on  the  work.” 
God’s  blessing  was  with  the  new  organization. 
He  had  directed  in  the  appointment  of  its 
leaders,  for  among  the  many  intelligent,  con¬ 
secrated  daughters  of  Southern  Methodism 
none  could  have  been  found  more  fully  suited, 
better  equipped  for  the  work  than  Mrs. 
Hayes,  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  Mrs.  McGav- 
ock,  of  Nashville,  Tenn.  Said  a  great  man, 
in  speaking  of  the  organization  at  Atlanta: 
“  The  fullness  of  time  had  come.  God  had 
selected  his  handmaiden,  Juliana  Hayes,  a 
chosen  instrument,  able  and  consecrated,  to 
lead  the  women  of  the  Southern  Church  in 
bringing  back  to  his  Son  his  promised  inheri¬ 
tance:  the  heathen  world.”  Prior  to  the  or¬ 
ganization  at  Atlanta,  Miss  Lochie  Bankin,  of 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


9 


Tennessee,  had  been  assigned  by  the  bishop 
in  charge  of  the  mission  to  the  school  in 
Shanghai.  She  was  immediately  adopted  by 
the  new  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  and 
recognized  as  its  first  representative.  This 
school  had  twenty-nine  pupils,  and  several  na¬ 
tive  Bible  women  employed,  and  “thus,”  said 
the  gifted  Corresponding  Secretary,  ua  nucle¬ 
us  was  furnished  us,  round  which  we  could 

center  in  the  dawn  of  our  missionary  morn- 

•  ?  > 

mg. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  General  Executive 
Association  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  So¬ 
ciety  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South,  was  held  in 
Broadway  Church,  Louisville,  Ky.,  May  16, 
1879.  Though  not  quite  a  year  had  passed 
since  organization,  the  seed  sown  by  the  wom¬ 
en  of  Southern  Methodism  had  been  blessed  of 
God,  and  was  germinating,  budding,  blossom¬ 
ing,  giving  promise  of  a  rich  fruitage  in  the 
near  future.  The  officers,  several  of  the  mana¬ 
gers,  and  delegates  from  the  Missouri,  Ken¬ 
tucky,  Holston,  Tennessee,  Little  Bock,  North 
Georgia,  Alabama,  North  Carolina,  Louisville, 
Baltimore,  Memphis,  and  North  Mississippi 
Conference  Societies,  and  a  number  of  elect 
ladies  and  interested  friends  were  present. 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Butler  was  elected  Becording  Sec- 


10  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

retary.  The  opening  address  of  the  Presi¬ 
dent,  Mrs.  Hayes,  was  peculiarly  appropriate. 
The  venerable  Bishop  Kavanaugh  honored 
the  occasion  with  his  presence.  Dr.  A.  W. 
Wilson,  Missionary  Secretary,  and  Dr.  D.  G. 
Kelley,  member  of  the  Parent  Board,  having 
been  sent  by  the  latter  as  a  committee  to  con¬ 
fer  with  the  Executive  Association,  were  in¬ 
vited  to  occupy  seats  with  the  delegates. 
Mrs.  McGavock,  in  her  carefully  prepared  re¬ 
port,  stated  that  “  from  the  golden  strand  of 
California  and  the  verdant  valleys  and  heaven- 
kissed  peaks  of  Colorado  to  the  gulf-washed 
coast  of  fruitful  Florida,  Auxiliaries  to  the 
Woman’s  Missionary  Society  are  in  active  op¬ 
eration,  sending  out  their  streams  of  useful¬ 
ness  and  binding  Christian  hearts  in  closer 
union.”  Fifteen  Conference  Societies  had 
been  organized,  with  219  Auxiliaries,  number¬ 
ing  5,890  members.  Total  receipts  for  the 
year,  $4,014.27.  The  foreign  work  was  repre¬ 
sented  by  one  missionary,  Miss  Locliie  Ban- 
kin,  Shanghai,  China;  one  boarding  school 
at  Shanghai,  with  25  pupils  and  6  native  Bible 
women.  Interesting  communications  from 
Miss  Bankin,  Dr.  Walter  Lambuth,  and  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Lambuth,  pleading  for  help  that  the 
work  might  be  extended,  were  read;  also 


M.  E.  Church ,  South . 


11 


letters  from  Hey.  J.  J.  Hansom,  missionary  to 
Brazil,  and  Bev.  W.  M.  Patterson,  mission¬ 
ary  in  the  City  of  Mexico,  praying  the  Wom¬ 
an’s  Missionary  Society  to  undertake  work 
in  those  fields.  It  was  decided  to  send  one 
missionary  to  aid  Miss  Rankin;  $1,500  appro¬ 
priated  to  building  a  school  at  Nantziang, 
and  $1,000  recommended  to  be  appropriated 
to  Brazil  and  Mexico,  if  funds  proved  ade¬ 
quate.  A  touching  incident  was  the  recital 
of  the  first  bequest  to  the  Woman’s  Missionary 
Society  of  $100,  earned  by  a  fragile  young 
sister  by  teaching  a  little  school,  “to  aid  in 
doing  what  she  would  gladly  have  done,  had 
her  life  been  spared.”  Like  the  “alabaster 
box  of  precious  ointment,”  may  its  perfume 
fill  the  whole  Church,  quickening  the  hearts 
of  our  Southern  sisters,  and  wherever  the 
name  of  Helen  M.  Finlay  is  spoken,  “  let  this 
be  told  as  a  memorial  of  her.” 

May  4,  1880,  the  Woman’s  Missionary  So¬ 
ciety  convened  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  their 
second  annual  meeting,  the  officers  and  dele¬ 
gates  from  twenty-two  Conference  Societies 
being  present.  Reports  showed  the  foreign 
work  extending,  while  the  growth  of  the  home 
work  in  some  sections  was  surprising.  Four 
hundred  and  sixty-five  Auxiliaries  numbered 


12  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

12,273  members.  The  most  zealous  and  ef¬ 
ficient  President  had  done  faithful  work  in 
the  home  field.  Said  the  Corresponding  Sec¬ 
retary:  “Her  journeyings  were  like  those  of 
Paul,  ‘  in  weariness,  in  painfulness,  in  watch¬ 
ings  often,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  fastings 
often;’  and  also  like  unto  the  great  apostle’s, 
in  that  her  visits  were  a  benediction  to  every 
center  of  the  work.’  ” 

The  consecrated  Corresponding  Secretary 
was  also  doing  faithful  service.  Compiling 
and  distributing  appropriate  literature,  send¬ 
ing  out  Constitution  and  By-laws  to  points 
far  and  near,  and  with  each  a  kind,  personal, 
instructive  letter,  to  incite  to  cooperation  and 
active  effort,  corresponding  with  the  workers 
abroad,  and  studying  the  interest  of  each 
field  separately  and  its  relation  to  the  whole, 
Mrs.  McGavock  aided  largely  in  securing  the 
marked  success  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary 
Society.  Conference  Secretaries,  officers  and 
private  members  of  Auxiliaries  were  also 
working  zealously  and  proving  that  “ prayer , 
faith 3  and  ivorks  insure  victory .”  During 
the  year  $13,775  was  paid  into  the  treasury. 
The  gift  of  “Louise  Home”  for  the  mission¬ 
aries  in  China  from  a  member  of  Trinity  Aux¬ 
ilary,  Baltimore,  placed  the  name  of  Wilkins , 


M.  E.  Church ,  South . 


13 


already  historic  in  connection  with  the  origin 
of  “woman’s  work  for  woman,”  in  the  ar¬ 
chives  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of 
the  M.  E.  Church,  South.  The  boarding 
school  at  Nantziang,  ordered  and  intrusted  to 
Dr.  W.  B .  Lamb uth,  who  has  ever  been  a 
most  faithful  friend  to  ivoman’s  work,  was  ad¬ 
mirably  located  in  the  rear  of  “Louise 
Home.”  Miss  Dora  Lankin,  who  had  been 
accepted  as  a  missionary,  sailed  for  China 
in  October,  1879,  safely  joined  her  sister, 
and  they  were  in  charge  of  the  boarding 
school  at  Nantziang,  called  “Yoh  le  dong” — 
Pleasant  Home,  or  Happy  School — Clopton 
School  remaining  under  Mrs.  Lambuth’s  care. 
The  venerable  Bible  woman,  Qua  Ta  Ta,  who 
fell  asleep  early  in  the  preceding  summer, 
was  the  only  death  reported  among  the  work¬ 
ers.  A  judicious  appropriation  of  $500  had 
been  made  to  aid  Miss  Newman’s  school  at 
Piracicaba,  Brazil,  and  $500  used  in  placing 
four  girls  at  Mr.  Norwood’s  school  in  Laredo, 
Mexican  Border  Mission.  The  imperative 
need  of  an  official  organ  as  an  essential  requi¬ 
site  to  the  permanent  success  of  the  work 
was  freely  discussed,  resulting  in  the  estab¬ 
lishment  of  the  Woman1 s  Missionary  Advo¬ 
cate,  to  be  published  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Mrs, 


14 


Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

F.  A.  Butler,  Editor,  with  a  salary  of  $500.  All 
expenses  were  to  be  paid  out  of  receipts  of 
the  paper,  and  the  subscription  price  was 
fixed  at  50  cents  per  annum.  Five  associate 
editors  and  a  Business  Manager  were  also 
elected. 

Faith  in  God,  who  giveth  the  increase,  and 
full  confidence  in  the  judgment  and  wisdom 
of  the  missionaries  led  to  the  devising  of  lib¬ 
eral  things.  To  the  work  already  under¬ 
taken  in  Shanghai  was  added  an  appropria¬ 
tion  of  $1,500,  $600  for  a  boarding  school  at 
Soochow,  medical  tuition  for  two  missionary 
candidates,  $3,000  for  hospital  and  Bible 
Woman’s  Institute,  $300  for  additional  day 
schools,  making  the  total  appropriation  for 
China  $9,672;  to  Mexican  Mission,  $12,592; 
to  Brazil  for  school  purposes,  $1,000;  to  Mex¬ 
ican  Border  Mission,  $1,000.  Total  amount 
of  appropriations,  $24,264.  To  prevent  em¬ 
barrassment  by  delayed  action,  provision  was 
made  for  the  Executive  Board  to  transact  all 
necessary  business  ad  interim ,  subject  to  the 
approval  of  the  ensuing  Executive  Association, 
and  some  needed  changes  were  made  in  the 
By-laws  of  the  Association. 

The  members  of  the  General  Executive  As¬ 
sociation  assembled  at  St.  John  Church,  St. 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


15 


Louis,  Mo.,  May  9,  1881,  for  the  opening  exer¬ 
cises  of  tlieir  third  annual  meeting.  The  sta¬ 
tistical  reports  of  the  home  work  showed 
steady  growth.  In  28  Conference  Societies 
were  numbered  726  Adult  Auxiliaries,  with 
76  Young  People’s  and  Juvenile  Societies — a 
total  of  830  Societies  with  21,338  members. 
One  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  was  the  in¬ 
crease  of  juvenile  organizations.  Children 
occupy  an  important  place  in  the  economy 
of  the  Church.  Begin  missionary  education 
early;  let  the  foundation  be  well  laid,  then 
add  layer  upon  layer,  line  upon  line,  precept 
upon  precept,  and  beautiful  indeed  will  be 
the  structure  when  complete. 

There  had  been  paid  into  the  treasury 
during  the  year  $19,362.18.  The  foreign 
work  was  enlarging,  notwithstanding  the 
sickness  among  the  devoted  workers.  *  The 
girls’  boarding  schools  in  Shanghai  and 
Nantziang  were  prospering.  Property  had 
been  bought  in  Soochow  for  the  establishing 
of  a  girls’  boarding  school  there,  and  in  fur¬ 
therance  of  the  proposed  plan  to  build  a  hos¬ 
pital  at  that  point  also,  Miss  Mildred  Phil¬ 
ips,  of  Missouri,  a  lady  in  every  way  quali¬ 
fied,  had  entered  upon  a  course  of  study  at 
the  Woman’s  Medical  College  of  Pennsyl- 


16  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

vania,  preparatory  to  going  to  China  as  a 
medical  missionary. 

In  the  Mexican  Mission  the  two  schools, 
though  small,  had  borne  good  fruit.  Eligible 
lots  for  building  purposes  had  been  donated 
at  Laredo,  Tex.,  a  point  destined  to  be  an 
important  railroad  center  and  crossing  on 
the  Bio  Grande.  The  Central  Mexican  Mis¬ 
sion  had  been  visited  by  Dr.  Wilson,  Mission¬ 
ary  Secretary,  and  his  report  had  increased 
the  interest  in  the  spreading  of  the  work  in 
that  “wide  open  field.” 

In  Brazil  the  school  at  Piracicaba  had  been 
suspended  early  in  the  year  by  the  marriage 
of  Miss  Annie  Newman  to  Bev.  J.  J.  Hansom, 
her  untimely  death,  and  the  failing  health  of 
her  sister,  Mary.  The  visit  soon  after  of  Mr. 
Hansom  to  the  “home  land”  awakened  a 
lively  interest  in  the  Church;  and  when  he 
sailed  for  Hio  Janeiro  March  26,  1881,  he 
took  with  him  four  recruits.  Miss  Mattie  H. 
Watts,  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  having  been  recom¬ 
mended  by  the  Executive  Board  ad  interim, 
and  appointed  by  Bishop  Keener  to  school 
work  at  Piracicaba,  sailed  with  this  party  of 
missionaries. 

Of  the  seven  other  applicants  for  work 
under  the  Woman’s  Board,  Miss  Hebecca  To- 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


17 


land  and  Miss  Annie  Williams,  of  Texas, 
were  accepted  for  the  Mexican  Border  Mis¬ 
sion;  and  Mrs.  Florida  M.  Pitts,  of  Winches¬ 
ter,  Tenn.,  who  had  already  practiced  dentist¬ 
ry,  was  accepted  as  a  medical  missionary  and 
assigned  to  the  Woman’s  Medical  College  at 
Philadelphia.  Early  in  the  following  autumn 
Mrs.  Pitts  entered  upon  her  studies,  but  cir¬ 
cumstances  compelled  her  to  withdraw  from 
entering  the  work  as  a  medical  missionary, 
and  her  services  were  lost  to  the  Society.  The 
following  appropriations  were  made:  China, 
$17,072;  Brazil,  $7,500;  Mexican  Border,  $6,- 
500;  $5,500  for  building  college  for  girls,  on 
lots  donated  at  Laredo,  and  for  educational 
purposes  of  the  same;  $1,000  for  Central  Mex¬ 
ican  Mission .  Total  amount  of  appropriations, 
$32,072.  The  new  venture,  the  Woman's  Mis¬ 
sionary  Advocate ,  proved  to  be  an  assured  suc¬ 
cess,  the  agent  reporting  total  receipts,  $3,- 
025.39;  total  expenses,  $1,779.88;  net  earn¬ 
ings,  $1,245.51. 

On  the  18th  of  May,  1882,  the  Society  con¬ 
vened  in  McKendree  Church,  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  having  reached  its  first  quadrennial. 
The  borders  of  both  the  home  and  Foreign 
work  had  continued  to  widen  and  spread, 
31  Conference  Societies,  composed  of  1,112 
2 


18  Woman's  Missionary  Society, 

Auxiliaries,  numbering  26,556  members,  hav¬ 
ing  been  enrolled.  The  Society  supported  2 
missionaries  in  China,  1  missionary  and  1  as¬ 
sistant  in  Brazil,  and  2  missionaries  in  Mex¬ 
ican  Border,  and  had  under  its  care  5  board¬ 
ing  and  10  day  schools,  and  $25,609.44  had 
been  paid  into  the  treasury.  Since  the  last 
annual  meeting  death  had  hushed  the  voices 
of  three  of  the  most  honored  members:  (Mrs. 
Doggett  and  Mrs.  Marvin,  Vice  Presidents; 
and  Mre.  Davidson,  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  Baltimore  Conference  Society),  and  the 
joyous  notes  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  mel¬ 
lowed  down  to  a  minor  chord  of  sadness. 

Miss  Anna  Muse,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  was  ac¬ 
cepted  as  a  missionary  and  assigned  to  work 
in  China.  Mrs.  S.  Burford  was  also  accepted 
and  associated  with  her  sister,  Miss  Williams, 
in  Laredo  Seminarv,  while  Miss  Blanche  Gil- 
bert,  of  Virginia,  was  recommended  for  the 
Central  Mexican  Mission.  Miss  Nora  Lam- 
buth  was  associated  with  her  mother  in  Clop- 
ton  School,  Shanghai,  with  half  salary,  the 
full  salary  of  each  missionary  being  $750. 
Miss  Melissa  Baker,  of  Baltimore,  was  ap¬ 
pointed  Treasurer  of  the  Memorial  Fund. 
On  May  24  Bishop  McTyeire  met  with  the  So¬ 
ciety  and  had  read  the  Constitution  which  had 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


19 


been  adopted  by  tlie  General  Conference  then 
in  session,  and  given  to  him  by  Bishop  Pierce, 
presiding  officer,  immediately  after  the  read¬ 
ing  of  which  Bishop  McTyeire  was  requested 
to  occupy  the  chair  during  the  election  of  of¬ 
ficers  to  serve  during  the  next  four  years,  re¬ 
sulting  as  follows:  President,  Mrs.  Juliana 
Hayes,  Yice  President,  Mrs.  M.  I).  Wight- 
man;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  D.  H. 
McGavock;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss  M. 
L.  Gibson;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  James  Whitworth; 
Auditor,  Mr.  J.  D.  Hamilton.  Mrs.  F.  A. 
Butler  was,  by  acclamation,  reelected  Editor 
of  the  Woman's  Missionary  Advocate.  The 
presence  of  Miss  Annie  E.  Williams,  repre¬ 
sentative  of  the  woman’s  work  in  Laredo, 
added  to  the  pleasure  of  the  meeting. 

The  following  appropriations  were  made: 
China,  $16,845;  Brazil,  $12,500;  Mexican 
Border,  $6,000;  Central  Mexican,  $1,200;  In¬ 
dian  Mission,  $635;  contingent  printing  and 
office  expenses,  $3,550.  Total,  $40,730. 

The  fifth  annual  meeting  of  the  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions  opened  in  Court  Street 
Church,  Lynchburg,  Va.,  June  6,  1883.  Re¬ 
ports  evidenced  satisfactory  growth  in  the 
home  work  and  in  foreign  fields.  There  had 
been  organized  185  Adult  and  99  Juvenile  So- 


20  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

cieties,  making  a  total  of  1,396  upon  the  roll, 
with  a  membership  of  34,128;  supporting  4 
missionaries  in  China,  3  in  Mexican  Border, 
1  in  Central  Mexican  Mission,  1  missionary 
and  2  assistants  in  Brazil;  5  boarding  and  17 
day  schools  were  in  successful  operation,  and 
aid  was  also  being  given  a  school  in  the  In¬ 
dian  Territory.  From  each  field  came  re¬ 
ports  of  thorough  organization,  with  promise 
of  rich  results.  In  China,  under  the  skillful 
management  of  the  consecrated  workers,  the 
schools  had  developed  far  beyond  expecta¬ 
tions.  In  Brazil  the  corner  stone  of  the  col¬ 
lege  at  Piracicaba  was  laid  February  8, 
1883,  with  imposing  honors  and  ceremonies,  in 
which  several  prominent  men  of  that  country 
took  part,  thus  evincing  the  interest  felt  by 
the  Brazilians  in  the  enterprise. 

The  seminary  at  Laredo,  though  not  com¬ 
pleted,  was  opened  October  13,  1882,  by  Miss 
Williams,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Burford,  but  be¬ 
fore  the  meeting  of  the  Board  Miss  Williams 
had  married  Bev.  J.  F.  Corbin,  pastor  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  South,  in  Laredo.  Miss  Be- 
becca  Toland  was  appointed  to  Laredo  Semi¬ 
nary,  and  Mrs.  Burford  recommended  to  go  to 
Monterey,  and  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Corbin, 
open  a  day  school  there.  Miss  Nannie  E. 


M.  E.  Church,  South . 


21 


Holding,  of  Somerset,  Ky.,  was  accepted  by 
tlie  Board  as  a  missionary,  and  assigned  to 
work  in  the  Laredo  Seminary.  Miss  Jennie 
C.  Wolfe,  of  Alabama,  and  Miss  Mattie  B. 
Jones,  of  Norcross,  Ga.,  missionary  candi¬ 
dates,  were  also  accepted.  Miss  Jones  was 
appointed  to  Mexico  as  a  colleague  for  Miss 
Blanche  Gilbert,  and  Miss  Wolfe  to  China. 
Miss  Mildred  M.  Philips,  who  had  graduated 
with  honor  March  15,  would  spend  one  year 
in  the  woman’s  hospital,  where  she  could 
have  large  opportunities  for  improvement  and 
experience,  and  the  following  spring  sail  for 
Soochow,  China,  where  the  hospital  and  dis¬ 
pensary  were  being  prepared.  In  response 
to  an  earnest  appeal  from  Mrs.  S.  J.  Bryan, 
teacher  in  Seminole  Academy,  all  available 
funds  having  been  already  applied  to  existing 
work,  a  special  contribution  of  $1,200  was 
pledged  by  different  members  of  the  Board 
for  their  respective  Conference  Societies. 
The  following  appropriations  were  made: 
China,  $11,168;  Mexican  Border,  $6,250; 
Central  Mexico,  $8,150;  Brazil,  $4,750;  print¬ 
ing  and  office  expenses,  $3,350.  Grand  total, 
$34,868. 

June  5,  1884,  witnessed  the  opening  exer¬ 
cises  of  the  sixtli  annual  meeting  of  the 


22  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  in  Walnnt  Street 
Church,  Kansas  City,  Mo,  For  the  first  time 
since  its  organization  the  detaining  hand  of 
the  Master  had  been  laid  upon  two  of  the  of¬ 
ficers,  the  able  and  consecrated  Corresponding 
Secretary  and  the  efficient  Treasurer  being 
absent  because  of  sickness.  No  new  work 
had  been  undertaken  during  the  year,  because 
of  the  heavy  tax  already  upon  the  missiona¬ 
ries.  The  work  had  developed  and  grown  be¬ 
yond  their  strength,  and  reenforcements  were 
greatly  needed.  The  following  statistics 
comprised  the  summary  of  the  home  work: 
Adult  Auxiliaries,  67,  numbering  1,061  mem¬ 
bers,  and  62  Young  People’s  and  Juvenile  So¬ 
cieties,  with  2,398  members  added,  making  a 
total  of  1,528  Societies,  with  37,482  members. 
The  resignation  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Burford  on 
the  Mexican  Border,  was  accepted.  The  un¬ 
conditional  resignation  of  Mrs.  J.  W.  Lam- 
buth,  who  had  done  such  faithful  service  at 
Clopton  School,  Shanghai,  left  the  Board  no 
choice  but  to  accept,  which  was  done  after 
passing  fitting  and  well-deserved  eulogies 
upon  one  to  whom  was  due,  in  large  measure, 
the  success  of  this  school.  Miss  Dona  Ham¬ 
ilton,  of  Texas,  Miss  Jennie  M.  Atkinson,  of 
Alabama,  and  Miss  Laura  A.  Haygood,  of 


M.  E.  Church ,  South 


23 


Georgia,  were  accepted  as  missionaries,  and 
appointed  to  work  in  China.  Miss  Mildred 
Philips,  medical  missionary,  would  defer 
sailing  for  her  appointed  work  in  Soochow 
until  fall,  and  it  was  decided  to  send  with  her 
an  assistant.  An  appropriation  of  $23,940 
was  made  to  China.  Miss  Mary  W.  Bruce 
was  appointed  to  reenforce  Brazil,  and  an  ap¬ 
propriation  of  $5,600  made  to  that  field,  $14,- 
600  to  the  Mexican  Border,  $6,400  to  Central 
Mexico,  $1,200  to  the  Indian  Mission,  and 
$3,500  for  contingent  expenses,  total  amount 
of  appropriation  being  $52,740.  A  thrilling 
incident  of  this  meeting  was  the  offering  of 
herself  by  Miss  Lou  E.  Philips  to  the 
Board.  The  rich  gift  was  gratefully  accepted 
and  Miss  Philips  subsequently,  at  a  special 
meeting  of  the  Local  Board,  appointed 
as  the  assistant  of  her  sister,  Dr.  Mildred 
Philips.  The  President,  Mrs.  Hayes,  beauti¬ 
fully  emphasized  two  points  in  the  annual  re¬ 
port- — viz.:  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
the  Conference  at  Nantziang,  and  the  con¬ 
version  of  scholars  in  the  various  mission 
schools  of  the  foreign  field,  for  which  devout 
thanks  were  given. 

It  being  the  centenary  year  of  the  organic 
existence  of  American  Methodism,  wise  plans 


24 


Woman’s  Missionary  Society , 

were  devised  for  raising  a  “  Centenary  Monu¬ 
mental  Fund,”  for  the  establishing  of  a  col¬ 
lege  for  girls  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  salary 
of  the  editor  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Ad¬ 
vocate  was  increased  to  $100  per  month,  with 
authority  to  employ  assistance  when  needed, 
and  pay  for  the  same  out  of  subscription  re¬ 
ceipts.  Miss  Marcia  Marvin’s  presence  and 
earnest  words  increased  the  interest  felt  in 
the  Indian  Mission,  and  during  the  discussion 
of  the  work,  she  arose  and  offered  herself  as  a 
centenary  gift  to  the  Seminole  Seminary,  in  a 
manner  which  brought  to  mind  her  honored 
father,  Bishop  Marvin.  Much  precious  com¬ 
munion  in  Christ  was  enjoyed  during  the  en¬ 
tire  meeting.  Mrs.  Whitworth  having  re¬ 
signed,  Mrs.  R.  TVeakley  Brown  had  been 
elected  in  the  interim  as  Treasurer,  and  re¬ 
ported  $38,873.52  as  the  total  amount  received 
during  the  year.  Miss-  M.  Baker,  Treasurer 
of  the  Memorial  Fund,  reported  $556.34  re¬ 
ceived  since  last  report,  making  a  total  in 
hand  of  $2,308.13. 

As  in  the  “  olden  time  ”  the  seventh  year 
was  to  the  people  of  Israel  the  year  of  jubilee, 
so  with  glad  hearts  the  Woman’s  Missionary 
Society  exchanged  joyous  greetings  in  Church 
Street  Church,  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  on  the  even- 


M.  E.  Church ,  So  nth. 


25 


ing  o£  June  4,  1885.  At  no  previous  annual 
meeting  liad  there  been  as  great  cause  for  re¬ 
joicing,  as  shown  by  the  carefully  prepared 
report  of  the  Corresponding  Secretary.  In 
no  year  had  so  much  money  been  paid  unto 
the  Lord  by  his  handmaidens;  in  none  had 
so  many  consecrated  themselves  to  the  work. 
In  the  home  field  the  growth  had  been  steady, 
415  Auxiliaries,  with  5,478  members,  having 
been  added,  which  increased  the  number  of 
Societies  to  1,947,  with  a  total  membership  of 
43,096.  In  some  Conferences  juvenile  organ¬ 
izations  had  been  effected,  working  in  perfect 
harmony  with  and  reporting  to  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Society.  North  Carolina  had  se¬ 
lected  for  the  name  of  her  juvenile  workers 
“Bright  Jewels;  ”  South  Carolina,  “Palmet¬ 
to  Leaves;”  Holston,  “Little  Workers;”  and 
Kentucky,  “Soul-loving  Society.”  Another 
most  encouraging  feature  was  the  formation 
in  mission  fields  of  societies  contributing 
money  to  send  the  word  of  life  to  those  be¬ 
yond,  still  shrouded  in  darkness.  There  were 
two  of  these  in  Mexican  Border,  one  in  Bra¬ 
zil,  and  four  in  the  Indian  Territory.  In 
some  schools  and  colleges  'the  spirit  of  God 
had-  begun  to  move  upon  and  develop  the 
forces  in  this  important  element.  The  plan 


26  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

of  publishing  a  monthly  leaflet,  to  be  issued 
quarterly  in  advance  for  the  use  of  Auxilia¬ 
ries,  Miss  M.  L.  Gibson,  editor  and  publisher, 
*  had  worked  admirably.  The  6,000  copies  of 
the  Sixth  Annual  Report  ordered  published 
and  distributed  gratuitously  had  proven  a  fruit¬ 
ful  “seed  sowing.”  The  Woman's  Missionary 
Advocate ,  with  an  ever  increasing  circulation, 
had  won  “golden  opinions”  for  the  editor 
and  the  cause  she  espoused.  There  were  em¬ 
ployed  15  missionaries,  4  assistants,  2  Bible 
women,  1  medical  missionary,  and  1  trained 
nurse;  7  boarding  schools  with  276  pupils, 
and  10  day  schools  with  241  pupils,  a  total  of 
517  pupils  under  the  control  of  the  Board. 
Reports  from  the  missionaries  proved  that 
plans  had  been  wisely  laid,  and  the  work  far- 
reaching,  with  present  gratifying  results. 
The  total  amount  paid  during  the  year  was 
$52,145.73. 

The  sisterly  greetings  from  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Societies  of  the  Baptist  and  Pres¬ 
byterian  Churches  found  responsive  echoes 
in  the  hearts  of  the  members,  voiced  by  the 
President  in  beautiful,  well-chosen  words. 
With  peculiar  pleasure  the  Board  arose  to 
greet  its  first  missionary:  Miss  Lochie  Ran¬ 
kin,  from  China,  who  had  been  invited  “to 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


27 


come  apart  and  rest  awliile  ”  from  lier  ardu¬ 
ous  labors,  and  Miss  Blanche  Gilbert,  from 
Mexico.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  C.  F.  Reid,  from 
China  Mission,  added  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
Board  by  their  presence.  As  questions  of 
grave  importance  connected  with  the  affairs 
of  the  Central  Mexican  Mission  demanded 
immediate  and  careful  consideration,  all  mat¬ 
ters  pertaining  to  this  field  were  referred  to  a 
special  committee.  After  a  full  investigation, 
the  decision  of  the  bishop  in  charge  in  with¬ 
drawing  Misses  Gilbert  and  Jones,  the  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  the  Woman’s  Board,  from  San 
Luis  Potosi  was  accepted  with  “  becoming 
dignity  and  Christian  grace,”  the  Board  at  the 
same  time  expressing  “its  unimpaired  confi¬ 
dence  in  the  integrity  of  its  representatives, 
and  the  assurance  to  them  that  in  this  unfor¬ 
tunate  termination  of  well-laid  plans  for  useful¬ 
ness  in  Mexico  it  gave  them  full  sympathy  with¬ 
out  a  trace  of  blame.”  It  was  unanimously 
decided  that  Misses  Gilbert  and  Jones  be  left 
without  an  appointment  for  the  present,  they 
sustaining  to  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions 
the  relation  of  returned  missionaries.  A  plan 
was  submitted  by  Miss  Haygood  to  the  women 
of  Southern  Methodism  to  form  a  joint  stock 
company  to  pay  into  the  treasury  during  the 


28 


Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

next  year  $25,000  outside  of  all  regular  dues, 
to  establish  a  Girls’  High  School  and  Home 
and  Training  School  for  Missionaries  at 
Shanghai.  Eight  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
shares  were  at  once  pledged!  Mrs.  Park, 
having  spent  three  months  in  the  school  at 
Laredo,  gave  valuable  information  concerning 
the  Seminary  and  teachers,  and  was  tendered 
resolutions  of  thanks  for  the  able  and  satis¬ 
factory  manner  in  which  she  had  carried  out 
the  wishes  of  the  Board  in  superintending 
the  enlargement  of  the  school  building.  The 
value  of  real  estate  owned  by  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
South,  w^as  shown  to  be  as  follows:  In  China, 
$30,100;  Mexican  Border,  $18,500;  Central 
Mexico,  $7,700;  Brazil,  $18,800.  Total,  $75,- 
200.  The  appropriation  to  China  was  $22,- 
780;  to  Mexican  Border,  $6,250;  to  Brazil, 
$16,000;  to  Indian  Territory,  $1,800;  contin¬ 
gent,  printing,  and  office  expenses,  $3,500; 
travel  and  half  salaries  of  two  returned  mis¬ 
sionaries,  $997.  Total,  $51,327!  The  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretary  was  instructed  to  pre¬ 
pare  a  report  of  the  work  of  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Society  to  the  General  Confer¬ 
ence,  to  convene  in  Richmond,  Va.,  May,  1886. 

At  the  close  of  its  second  quadrennium,  the 


M.  E.  Church,  South. 


29 


Woman’s  Missionary  Society  met  in  St. 
John’s  Church,  Augusta,  Ga.,  June  10,  1886, 
in  the  opening  session  of  its  eighth  annual 
meeting,  Mrs.  Hayes  presiding,  and  other 
officers  present.  Miss  Watts,  missionary  to 
Brazil,  with  Mile.  Bennotte,  who  for  five 
years  had  been  assisting  her  in  Collegio  Pira- 
cicabano,  and  Miss  Dora  Bankin,  from  China, 
were  welcomed  with  loving  pride.  The  So¬ 
ciety  was  reported  healthful  and  vigorous. 
The  home  work  was  represented  by  1,106 
Auxiliaries  and  more  than  45,000  members. 
The  mite  box,  that  eloquent  but  silent  plead¬ 
er  for  Jesus’  sake,  was  coming  into  use,  and 
gathering  up  the  “fragments,  that  nothing  be 
lost.” 

Miss  Lochie  Bankin,  having  been  greatly 
refreshed  by  her  brief  visit  to  the  home  land, 
after  nearly  seven  years’  toil  in  China,  had 
returned  to  her  loved  employ  in  October, 
1885.  Miss  Blanche  Gilbert  had  been  ap¬ 
pointed  to  Laredo,  and  Miss  Mattie  Jones  to 
Piracicaba,  Brazil.  No  new  missionaries  had 
gone  to  the  foreign  fields,  while  every  letter 
from  the  overburdened  workers  called  plead¬ 
ingly  for  “  help.”  Buildings  were  overflow¬ 
ing  and  pupils  being  turned  away.  The  plan 
so  enthusiastically  received  and  adopted  at 


30  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

the  seventh  annual  meeting,  to  found  a  home 
for  new  missionaries,  in  connection  with  a 
high  school  for  girls  at  Shanghai,  had  met 
with  great  favor.  Miss  Lochie  Rankin  was 
busy  with  her  boarding  school  of  fifty  girls  at 
Pleasant  College,  Nantziang,  and  her  sister 
Dora  in  preparing  sixty  boys  for  higher  educa¬ 
tion  in  the  Anglo-Chinese  College.  In  Soo- 
chow  the  schools  were  likewise  prospering, 
and  Dr.  Philips,  during  the  absence  of  Drs. 
Lambuth  and  Park  especially,  “in  labors 
abundant.”  Miss  Baldwin,  the  trained  nurse 
taken  out  by  Dr.  Philips,  after  several  months 
of  acute  illness,  had  returned  home.  The  work 
at  Laredo  was  “lengthening  its  cords  and 
strengthening  its  stakes.”  The  “Laredo  Band,” 
a  Missionary  Society  among  the  pupils,  had 
sent  over  $50  to  the  Treasurer  at  Nashville. 
In  Brazil,  the  workers,  though  mourning  the 
death  of  an  invaluable  helper  and  sympa¬ 
thizer,  Rev.  J.  W.  Roger,  paused  not  in  their 
wearisome  labors.  Mr.  Roger,  since  May, 
had  received  25  persons  into  the  Church,  7  of 
whom  were  inmates  of  Collegio  Piracicabano. 
It  was  pleasant  to  hear  Miss  Watts,  fresh 
from  the  field,  tell  how  the  school  had  become 
self-supporting  during  the  first  year,  and  that 
out  of  the  school  fund  fences  had  been  built 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


31 


and  improvements  added  to  tlie  amount  of 
several  hundred  dollars.  Good  work,  with 
satisfactory  results,  was  reported  from  the 
Indian  Territory.  The  total  amount  received 
by  the  Treasurer  for  the  year  was  $51,588.76; 
amount  received  by  the  Treasurer  of  the 
Memorial  Fund,  $275.09.  The  Board  ac¬ 
knowledged  by  fitting  resolutions  their  great 
indebtedness  to  Dr.  Young  J.  Allen,  mission¬ 
ary  in  China,  for  his  valuable  assistance  in  sus¬ 
taining  and  directing  their  work,  and  for  his 
tender  care  and  consideration  for  the  young 
ladies  sent  out  by  them.  Dr.  Allen  was  ap¬ 
pointed  attorney,  with  power  to  attend  to  all 
business  of  the  Board  in  China  Mission,  and 
the  bishop  in  charge  was  requested  to  make 
Dr.  Allen  superintendent  of  all  work  under  the 
care  of  the  Woman’s  Board  in  that  field.  Due 
acknowledgment  of  the  valuable  services  of 
Mrs.  A.  P.  Parker,  who  had  given  herself  as  a 
freewill  offering  to  the  Woman’s  Board  of 
Missions  for  several  years,  and  rendered  most 
efficient  aid,  was  made  in  a  resolution  of 
thanks,  and  the  paying  of  her  traveling  ex¬ 
penses  to  the  United  States  on  a  visit. 

The  gratifying  action  of  the  late  General 
Conference  in  regard  to  the  Woman’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society,  having  concurred  in  every 


32  Woman's  Missionary  Society, 

point  of  the  memorial  presented  by  the 
Board,  was  read  by  the  Corresponding  Sec¬ 
retary,  with  the  following  indorsement  of 
woman’s  work  by  the  highest  official  body  in 
the  Church,  words  deemed  by  the  women  of 
the  Missionary  Society  of  unspeakable  worth: 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Society,  organized  eight 
years  ago,  has  done  well,  unexpectedly  well,  in  its  col¬ 
lections,  marvelously  well  in  its  administration,  mag¬ 
nanimously  well  in  its  relation  to  and  its  cooperation 
with  the  Parent  Board,  gloriously  well  in  its  achieve¬ 
ments  in  the  fields  of  its  operations;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved ,  That  the  success  of  the  Woman’s  Mission¬ 
ary  Society,  organized  eight  years  ago,  has  demon¬ 
strated  the  wisdom  of  that  movement,  and  is  cause  of 
devout  gratitude.  What  they  have  done  has  been 
done  in  excess  of  what  would  probably  have  been  done 
during  the  same  period  by  the  Church  at  large. 
Where  they  have  been  most  successful  in  their  home 
work  and  their  zeal  has  been  most  actively  displayed, 
there  is  not  only  no  diminution  of  the  general  collec¬ 
tions,  but  rather  an  increase.  That  it  is,  therefore, 
every  way  desirable  that  our  godly  women  be  encour¬ 
aged  to  a  continuance  of  their  zeal,  and  that  to  this  end 
our  preachers  and  people  everywhere  should  cooperate 
with  them  as  their  other  duties  will  allow. 

A  pleasant  incident  of  this  meeting  was  the 
undertaking  by  the  Juvenile  Missionary  Soci¬ 
ety  of  St.  John’s  Church  (in  which  the  meet¬ 
ing  was  held)  to  furnish  $200  to  provide  a 
missionary  boat  for  the  comfort  and  conven- 


M.  E.  Church,  South. 


33 


ience  of  the  Misses  Eankin,  and  a  pledge 
from  three  ladies  to  procure  a  surrey  for  the 
use  of  Miss  Watts,  Collegio  Piracicabano. 
Miss  Emma  Kerr,  of  Brownsville,  Tenn.,  was 
accepted  and  recommended  to  the  Nurses 
Training  School  of  the  IV oman  s  Hospital,  at 
Philadelphia,  to  become  assistant  to  Hr.  Phil¬ 
ips  at  Soochow.  Appropriations  for  the  year 
amounted  to  $69,770. 

The  ninth  annual  meeting  of  the  Woman  s 
Board  of  Missions  was  held  in  Catlettsburg, 
Ky.,  June  11-17,  1887.  The  presence  of 
Bishop  Wilson,  fresh  from  the  China  field, 
was  an  inspiration  to  the  body  of  women, 
across  whose  hearts  a  dark  shadow  had  fallen. 
December  10,  1886,  Dora  Eankin,  after  seven 
years  of  unremitting  service  to  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
South,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  re¬ 
ceived  the  summons  “Enter  thou  into  the  joys 
of  thy  Lord.”  Bishop  Wilson  testified  that 
“her  work  and  worth  will  hardly  be  known 
until  the  righteous  Judge  shall  declare  them.” 
The  bereft  sister  was  bravely  discharging  her 
own  duties  and  a  part  of  the  work  which  had 
been  undertaken  by  her  sister.  The  gloom  of 
the  hour  was  brightened  by  the  evidence  of 
the  Spirit’s  glorious  power. 

3 


34  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

There  were  in  Pleasant  College  seven  ap¬ 
plicants  for  baptism,  and  the  oldest  pupil  in 
the  high  school  had  declared  his  desire  to 
unite  with  the  Church,  In  Shanghai  five 
additional  day  schools  had  been  opened- 
and  the  work  in  other  respects  broadened, 
though  at  a  cost  to  the  health  and  strength 
of  the  little  handful  of  missionaries.  From 
Soochow  was  sent  a  most  interesting  and 
gratifying  report  of  Dr.  Philips’s  work,  and 
the  boarding  and  day  schools  in  charge  of 
Miss  Lou  Philips.  Surely  and  steadily  the 
work  at  Laredo  Seminary,  Mexican  Border, 
was  advancing.  After  a  visit  of  several 
days,  and  careful  examination  into  the  inter¬ 
nal  management  as  well  as  to  the  location, 
buildings,  etc.,  Bishop  Key  said:  “For  each 
and  all  I  have  nothing  but  admiration  and 
praise.”  Bishop  Granbery,  while  on  a  tour 
of  inspection  in  Brazil,  wrote  of  Collegio  Pi- 
racieabano:  “  I  am  delighted  with  the  college, 
buildings,  grounds,  teachers,  mode  of  in¬ 
struction,  success  already  achieved,  and  pros¬ 
pects  of  growing  usefulness.”  Miss  Watts  re¬ 
turned  to  her  work  there  in  May,  1887.  The 
bishop  stro.ngly  commended  the  contemplated 
school  at  Bio.  The  work  of  the  Woman’s  Board 
having  been  concentrated  at  Harrell  Interna- 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


35 


tional  Institute,  at  Muskogee,  Ind.  T.,  the 
Principal,  Rev.  T.  P.  Brewer,  submitted  to  the 
Board  a  highly  interesting  history  and  report. 

Mrs.  J.  P.  Campbell,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal., 
and  Miss  Kate  R.  Roberts,  of  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  had  been  accepted  as  missionaries  and 
sent  to  China  in  March,  1887.  The  minutes  of 
the  first  organized  annual  meeting  of  the  rep¬ 
resentatives  of  the'  Woman’s  Board  in  China, 
presided  over  by  Bishop  Wilson,  a  new  fea¬ 
ture  in  the  foreign  work,  were  recommended 
as  good  reading.  The  presence  of  Miss  Hold¬ 
ing  in  the  interest  of  Laredo,  that  institution 
having  for  the  second  time  outgrown  its  ac¬ 
commodations,  quickened  the  sympathy  of 
the  Board  to  painful  intensity,  as  enlargement 
could  not  be  met  by  appropriation.  The 
amount  needed  was  $7,000,  and  Miss  Holding 
was  given  permission  to  make  individual  ap¬ 
peals  for  the  securing  of  that  amount.  The 
week  before  Christmas  was  appointed  a  spe¬ 
cial  season  of  prayer  and  self-denial,  and  daily 
prayer  at  eventide,  to  gain  the  outpouring  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  pledged.  It  was  stated  that 
the  fund  for  the  proposed  Home  and  Training 
School  at  Shanghai  had  been  raised,  and  that 
Rio  College  had  become  a  real  monument  of 
centenary  offerings.  Miss  Lula  H.  Lipscomb, 


36  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

of  the  North  Mississippi  Conference,  and  Miss 
Ada  Reagan,  of  the  Tennessee  Conference,  were 
accepted  and  appointed  to  China;  Miss  Mar¬ 
cia  Marvin,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  was  accepted  for 
matron  of  Collegio  Piracicabano,  Brazil.  The 
proposal  of  Miss  Lelia  Roberts  to  place  her¬ 
self  and  school  at  Saltillo,  Mexico,  under  the 
Woman’s  Board,  was  accepted.  Miss  Bettie 
Hughes,  of  Meridian,  Miss.,  was  also  accepted 
for  work  in  China.  Ten  missionaries  had  of¬ 
fered  and  been  accepted  and  appointed  since 
the  death  of  Miss  Dora  Rankin,  for  whom 
touching  memorial  services  were  held  by  her 
siste.rs,  who,  amid  their  tears,  thanked  the 
all-wise  Father  that  the  new-made  grave  in 
China  was  as  a  magnet  drawing  the  hearts  of 
the  young  women  of  the  Church  to  that  be¬ 
nighted  land.  Appropriate  resolutions  were 
ordered  drafted  and  sent  to  the  Emperor  of 
China  through  Dr.  Y.  J.  Allen,  as  a  testimo¬ 
nial  of  the  appreciation  by  the  Board  as  a 
religious  body,  of  the  grand  and  gracious  lib¬ 
erty  he  had  proclaimed  to  his  subjects,  open¬ 
ing  wide  his  gates  to  the  religions  of  the 
world.  The  home  work  numbered  2,000 
Auxiliaries,  with  46,999  members;  amount 
received  by  the  Treasurer,  $48,092.63.  Miss 
Baker  reported  the  Memorial  Fund  having 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


37 


been  increased  $199.25.  She  had  remitted  to 
the  Treasurer  of  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Mis¬ 
sions,  to  be  applied  to  “  Davidson  Memorial 
Training  School  for  Girls,”  to  be  founded  in 
Shanghai,  China,  $2,000.  Balance  on  hand 
May  1,  1887,  $1,303.56.  Total  appropriations 
for  ensuing  year,  $66,487. 

The  opening  exercises  of  the  tenth  annual 
meeting  of  the  Woman’s  Board  in  McKen- 
dree  Church,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  May  3,  1888, 
marked  with  a  “  white  stone  ”  the  first  decade 
of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Society.  The 
fact  that  it  was  the  seventy-fifth  birthday  an¬ 
niversary  of  the  able  and  faithful  President, 
who  had  presided  at  every  annual  meeting, 
made  the  occasion  doubly  memorable.  Other 
facts  tended  to  make  this  the  third  testing  by 
the  Board  of  Nashville  hospitality,  and  the 
tenth  anniversary,  notable:  the  presence  of 
the  College  of  Bishops;  the  Board  of  Missions; 
Dr.  Allen,  who  had  been  for  nearly  thirty 
years  a  missionary  in  Shanghai,  China;  Miss 
Toland,  from  Mexican  Border  Mission,  who, 
for  the  first  time  in  seven  years,  had  laid 
aside  her  work  for  a  season  of  much-needed 
rest;  Miss  Jennie  Wolfe,  who,  for  several 
years  had  been  employed  by  the  Woman’s 
Board  in  the  Indian  Territory,  with  Miss 


38  Woman’s  Missionary  Society , 

Augusta  Wilson,  sister  of  Bishop  Wilson,  and 
Miss  Ella  Granbery,  present  as  missionary 
candidates,  made  the  occasion  peculiarly  in¬ 
teresting.  The  statistics  presented  showed  a 
gratifying  increase  in  the  home  work,  there 
being  2,399  Auxiliaries,  numbering  56,783 
members,  besides  life  members,  honorary  life 
members,  and  life  patrons.  The  young  peo¬ 
ple  and  children  had  outrun  their  elders  in 
zeal  and  enthusiasm. 

Miss  .N.  E.  Holding  came  home  in  May  to 
recruit  her  failing  health,  haying  for  four 
years  rendered  faithful  service  as  Principal 
of  Laredo  Seminary,  returning  in  October 
greatly  benefited.  The  money  needed  by 
her  for  the  much- desired  addition  to  the 
building  had  come  to  her  in  small,  special 
gifts,  made  precious  by  love  and  prayer,  and 
the  house  was  built,  dedicated  “  Hall  of 
Faith,”  and  stands  as  an  object  lesson  to  her 
pupils  of  trusting  God  for  all  things  needed. 
Miss  Holding’s  appeal  for  $600  additional 
help  as  a  loan  was  responded  to  by  a  pledge 
of  $1,500  as  a  gift  from  fifteen  Conference  So¬ 
cieties.  Appreciative  thanks  wTere  tendered 
Misses  Mason  and  Holderby,  of  Catlettsburg, 
Ky.,  for  one  year’s  service  in  Laredo  Semina¬ 
ry,  freely  and  cheerfully  given  by  them. 


M.  E.  Church,  South. 


39 


The  presence  of  Rev.  A.  H.  Sutherland, 
missionary  from  Mexican  Border,  gave  added 
interest  to  the  meeting,  he  being  called  the 
“  right  arm  of  the  Woman’s  Boardof  Missions  ” 
in  that  field.  Words  from  Bishop  Galloway  in¬ 
creased  the  interest  felt  in  the  “  red  man.” 
Harrell  Institute,  at  Muskogee,  had  passed 
through  a  most  prosperous  year,  and  addition¬ 
al  buildings  were  much  needed. 

The  reenforcements  sent  to  China  had 
cheered  and  strengthened  the  burdened 
hearts  and  weary  hands  of  the  brave,  faithful 
missionaries.  In  September,  1887,  Miss 
Emma  Kerr,  Miss  Lula  Lipscomb,  Miss  Ad- 
die  Gordon,  Miss  Bettie  Hughes,  and  Miss 
Ada  Reagan  sailed  for  Shanghai.  In  Brazil 
the  work,  amid  many  hindrances,  was  advan¬ 
cing.  Miss  Marcia  Marvin  had  gone  out  in 
July,  1887,  and  was  at  her  post  in  Rio.  From 
every  field  came  the  cry:  “Helpers  are  a  ne¬ 
cessity,  and  must  be  sent  at  an  early  day.” 
Miss  A.  E.  Wilson  was  accepted  and  appoint¬ 
ed  to  Harrell  Institute.  Miss  Kate  Warren, 
of  St.  Louis,  was  recommended  as  a  teacher 
for  Harrell  Institute.  Miss  Ella  Granbery 
was  accepted  and  appointed  to  Brazil,  she 
having  already  given  one  year’s  service  there. 
A  communication  from  the  Business  Commit- 


40  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

tee  of  the  General  Missionary  Conference,  to 
be  held  in  London,  June  9-19,  1888,  contain¬ 
ing  a  request  for  the  appointment  of  one  or 
more  delegates  to  represent  the  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions  at  said  Conference,  was 
read  and  Mrs.  Hayes  elected  as  delegate. 

The  resignation  of  Miss  Jennie  Wolfe, 
for  five  years  a  missionary  of  the  Board,  be¬ 
cause  of  failing  health,  was  accepted  with  as¬ 
surances  of  their  sympathy  and  continued 
interest. 

In  addition  to  the  $1,500  to  Laredo,  over 
$1,000  was  pledged  to  other  specific  work  in 
the  Mexican  Border  by  Conference  Societies. 
The  Board  appropriated  to  China  $23,837; 
Mexican  Border,  $9,800;  Brazil,  $10,550;  In¬ 
dian  Territory,  $5,950;  for  medical  students, 
$1,000;  to  Dr.  Allen,  $500;  expenses  of  dele¬ 
gate  to  London,  $300.  Total,  $54,937.  There 
had  been  forwarded  to  the  Treasurer  $69,- 
729.65.  McKendree  Auxiliary  had  paid 
$1,500  of  this,  $284  of  which  was  a  contribu¬ 
tion  from  Dr.  W.  A.  Candler,  assistant  editor 
of  the  Christian  Advocate. 

May  1,  1889,  witnessed  the  opening  exer¬ 
cises  of  the  eleventh  annual  meeting  in  Eighth 
Street  Church,  Little  Bock,  Ark.  The  ven¬ 
erable  President  embodied  in  her  comprehen- 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


41 


sive  address  an  interesting  report  of  the 
World’s  Missionary  Conference  in  London, 
July,  1888,  at  which  she  represented  the 
Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  South.  The  Recording  Secretary 
being  absent,  Mrs.  Trueheart  was  appointed 
Secretary  pro  tern.  Reports  showed  no 
marked  extension  in  any  field,  while  the  work 
seemed  steadily  growing  in  each.  Miss  Gran- 
bery  had  sailed  for  Brazil,  and  Miss  Wilson 
had  entered  upon  her  work  in  the  Indian 
Territory.  Miss  Clara  Chrisman,  of  Missis¬ 
sippi;  Miss  Ella  Yarrell,  of  Virginia;  Mrs. 
Brelsford,  of  Kentucky,  and  Miss  Lyda  How¬ 
ell,  of  North  Georgia,  were  appointed  to  Bra¬ 
zil.  Miss  Chrisman,  while  hastening  to  New 
York  to  sail  with  the  other  missionaries,  met 
a  tragic  death  in  the  Johnstown  flood.  A  dark, 
heavy  shadow  was  thrown  over  the  hearts  of 
the  women  she  was  to  have  represented,  and 
reaching  across  the  seas,  was  felt  in  the  mis¬ 
sion  school  where  she  was  to  have  labored. 
Touching  memorial  services  were  held 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
Southern  Church  over  the  death  of  this  gifted, 
consecrated  young  woman.  Her  memory  will 
ever  be  as  “  precious  ointment  poured  forth.” 
Miss  Sallie  Phillips,  of  Louisiana,  went  before 


42 


Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

tlie  Local  Board,  was  recommended  to  the 
bishop  in  charge  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  be¬ 
fore  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board  was  at 
work  in  Brazil. 

Miss  Lizzie  Wilson,  of  Kentucky,  and  Miss 
Flora  Baker,  of  North  Georgia,  were  assigned 
to  Laredo  Seminary;  Mrs.  A.  E.  McClendon 
was  also  sent  to  Laredo  Seminary.  Miss 
Ella  Tydings,  of  Florida,  was  sent  to  Saltillo, 
Mexico,;  Miss  Helen  Bichardson  and  Miss 
Lula  Boss  were  appointed  to  China;  Miss 
Mary  McClellan,  of  Brookhaven,  Mississippi, 
had  sailed  for  China  in  August,  1888. 

Miss  Bennett,  of  Kentucky,  introduced  the 
subject  of  a  training  school  so  forcibly  as  to 
secure  the  indorsement  of  the  Board,  by  ap¬ 
pointing  her  their  agent  to  fully  investigate 
the  subject  and  secure  funds.  At  this  meet¬ 
ing  China  had  earnest,  eloquent  pleaders  in 
the  person  of  Miss  Anna  Muse,  who  had 
spent  seven  years  of  service  in  that  benighted 
land,  and  of  Mrs.  A.  W.  Wilson,  who,  with 
her  husband,  the  bishop,  had  visited  and  ex¬ 
amined  into  the  work.  Miss  Holding  spoke 
touching  words  for  beautiful,  sin-cursed  Mex¬ 
ico.  The  marriage  of  Miss  Addie  Gordon,  a 
missionary  of  the  Board,  to  Bev.  Mr.  Burke, 
of  Soocliow,  was  reported.  With  regret  it 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


43 


was  learned  that  the  heavy  work  upon  Dr. 
Allen  forced  him  to  resign  as  superintendent 
of  the  work  under  the  Woman’s  Board.  The 
announcement  of  Bishop  McTyeire’s  death 
brought  a  sense  of  sadness  and  bereavement 
to  each  member,  which  was  expressed  in  suit¬ 
able  resolutions. 

The  number  of  members  reported  was 
65,466,  a  pleasant  proof  of  the  extension  of 
the  home  work.  Amount  paid  into  the  treas¬ 
ury,  $68,165.34.  Total  amount  of  appropria¬ 
tions  for  the  year,  $61,350. 

At  the  opening  session  of  the  annual  meet¬ 
ing  closing  the  third  quadrennium  of  the 
Woman’s  Missionary  Society,  held  at  St. 
John’s  Church,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  May  14,  1890, 
there  were  31  missionaries  in  the  foreign 
field,  20  assistants,  37  native  teachers,  10 
boarding  and  31  day  schools,  1,248  pupils,  1 
hospital,  1  medical  missionary,  1  foreign  as¬ 
sistant  and  9  native  assistants,  1,986  Auxili¬ 
aries,  with  41,235  members,  and  995  Juvenile 
Societies,  with  2,991  members;  making  a  total 
of  2,991  Societies,  with  a  membership  of 
72,367,  and  2,067  life  members,  60  honorary 
life  members,  10  life  patrons,  and  $181,000 
worth  of  property.  Total  receipts  for  the 
year,  $75,486.54. 


44  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

Miss  Muse  was  enjoying  her  well-earned 
rest  after  seven  years  of  toil.  Miss  Bruce, 
still  suffering  from  the  effects  of  yellow  fever, 
had  also  come  home  to  recuperate.  Dr.  Mil¬ 
dred  Philips,  enfeebled  by  her  five  years  of 
arduous  labor  in  China,  was  granted  the  priv¬ 
ilege  of  returning  home.  She  started,  but 
reaching  Port  Said  just  as  a  vessel  was  leav¬ 
ing  for  Shanghai,  she  transferred  to  that  and 
returned  to  her  post.  In  China,  while  the 
workers  had  suffered  from  sickness  and  heavy 
burdens,  there  had  been  an  increase  of 
schools  and  pupils,  and  an  encouraging  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  work  was  reported.  The  Mexican 
Border  had  been  blessed  with  health  and 
great  prosperity.  Of  Brazil  Bishop  Granbery 
wrote:  “The  Society  has  no  cause  for  dis¬ 
couragement  or  for  relaxation  of  interest  or 
effort  in  respect  to  Brazil.”  The  year  which 
had  just  closed  had  been  a  trying  one  to  our 
workers  in  that  field.  A  yellow  fever  epidem¬ 
ic,  the  worst  for  several  generations,  closed 
the  schools  and  scattered  the  faithful  band 
of  workers.  Through  the  mercy  of  God,  all 
were  brought  safely  through,  though  several 
were  dangerously  ill.  After  the  reopening  of 
the  schools,  measles,  whooping  cough,  and  scar- 
letina  appeared.  Amid  all  these  hindrances 


M.  E.  Churchy  South. 


45 


good  results  liad  been  accomplished  and 
progress  made.  The  government  had  quietly 
passed  from  a  monarchy  into  a  republic.  In 
the  Indian  Territory  there  was  promise  of 
good  fruit.  The  brave,  overburdened  work¬ 
ers  in  every  field  were  pleading  for  increased 
appropriations  and  a  large  reenforcement  of 
laborers,  in  answer  to  which  the  Board  ap¬ 
propriated  to  the  work  $74,607,  and  accepted 
and  appointed  the  following  ladies:  Miss 
Lucy  Harper,  of  Georgetown,  Tex.,  and  Miss 
Mary  Turner,  of  Sharpsburg,  Ky.,  to  the 
Mexican  Border;  Miss  Kate  P.  Fannin,  of 
Blountstown,  Fla.,  to  work  at  Saltillo,  Mexico; 
Miss  Mattie  Dorsey,  of  Charlestown,  W.  Va., 
to  Chihuahua,  Mexico;  Miss  Fannie  Hinds,  of 
Mt.  Sterling,  Ky.,  and  Miss  Mary  L.  Smithey, 
of  Jetersville,  Va.,  to  China.  The  Board  in¬ 
dorsed  the  action  of  the  Local  Board  in  ap¬ 
pointing  Miss  Helen  Richardson  to  China, 
and  advising  Miss  Pyles  to  continue  at 
school  in  preparation  for  mission  work. 

Several  circumstances  united  to  make  nota¬ 
ble  this  twelfth  meeting  of  the  Board:  the 
session  of  the  General  Conference,  before 
which  went  memorials  for  needed  changes  in 
the  Constitution;  the  presence  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Parker,  missionaries,  and  Rev.  C.  IL 


46  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

Marshall  (delegate  to  the  General  Confer¬ 
ence),  from  China;  Mrs.  Watkins  and  Miss 
Gilbert,  from  Mexico;  Miss  Mary  Bruce  and 
Rev.  J.  W.  Tarboux,  from  Brazil;  Rev.  N.  W. 
Utley,  from  Japan;  and  the  gifted  young 
women,  bravely  giving  themselves  to  the 
work;  added  to  which  was  the  grand  gift  of 
Rev.  Nathan  Scarritt,  D.D.,  of  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  of  $25,000,  and  a  suitable  site  in  Kansas 
City  for  a  training  school  for  missionaries 
and  other  Christian  workers,  provided  the 
Woman’s  Missionary  Society  would  for  the 
same  object  furnish  $25,000,  made  sacred  a 
few  days  later — May  22 — by  the  death  of  this, 
valued  servant  of  God  and  true  friend  to 
woman’s  work.  Miss  Bennett,  agent,  reported 
the  wonderful  success  which  had  attended  the 
efforts  of  herself  and  assistant,  Mrs.  Wight- 
man,  having  secured  for  said  training  school 
$11,311.90  in  cash,  with  subscriptions  making 
a  total  of  $36,917.34,  These  ladies  were  con¬ 
tinued  as  agents,  and  in  loving,  grateful  mem¬ 
ory  of  its  most  liberal  donor,  the  institution 
was- named  “The  Scarritt  Bible  and  Training 
School,”  and  Bishop  Hendrix  was  elected 
Chairman  of  the  Building  Committee  appoint¬ 
ed  by  the  Board,  Rev.  W.  B.  Palmore  and  Miss 
Belle  Bennett  being  the  other  members. 


47 


M.  E.  Church,  South. 

The  work  having  now  assumed  such  large 
proportions,  it  was  decided  to  increase  the 
number  of  officers;  instead  of  Corresponding 
Secretary  as  heretofore,  to  have  a  “For¬ 
eign  Secretary”  and  a  “Secretary  of  Home 
Affairs,”  appropriating  to  meet  expenses  of  the 
former  $1,200,  and  of  the  latter  $500.  Mrs. 
McGavock  was  elected  Foreign  Secretary,  and 
Miss  Mary  Helm,  who  had  for  several  years 
been  her  faithful  assistant,  Secretary  of  Home 
Affairs;  the  other  officers  being  reelected  for 
another  term  of  four  years. 

When  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  con¬ 
vened  in  Fort  Worth,  Tex.,  June  9,  1891,  and 
reviewed  the  work  of  the  thirteenth  year  of 
its  existence,  it  was  pleasant  to  note  that  more 
women  and  children  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
South,  than  ever  before  had  enlisted  in  the 
work,  and  more  money  been  paid  into  the 
treasury.  The  statistics  were:  Auxiliaries, 
2,148;  members,  42,563;  Juvenile  Societies, 
1,124,  with  32,917  members;  life  members, 
2,121;  honorary  life  members,  59;  life  pa¬ 
trons,  9;  amount  paid  into  the  treasury, 
$83,865.72.  Ten  young  ladies  had  been  ac¬ 
cepted  as  missionaries  since  the  previous  an¬ 
nual  meeting,  some  of  whom  had  gone  to 
their  appointed  fields. .  Others  were  in  train- 


48 


Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

ing  schools,  preparing  for  the  work.  Early  in 
the  year  Miss  Yarrell  returned  from  Brazil  on 
account  of  ill  health,  and  Miss  Lou  Philips, 
from  China,  and  Miss  Mattie  Jones,  from 
Brazil,  later  came  home  to  recuperate.  Most 
encouraging  reports  came  from  the  foreign 
field,  but  the  overburdened  missionaries  were 
still  piteously  pleading  for  help.  Three  of 
the  missionaries  in  China  (Misses  Lipscomb, 
Roberts,  and  Reagan)  had  married,  and  their 
connection  with  the  Board  been  thereby  sev¬ 
ered.  Miss  Bona  Hamilton  had  died  in  Chi¬ 
na;  some  of  the  most  devoted  home  workers 
had  been  called  from  labor  to  rest,  and  others 
were  hovering  between  life  and  death.  Miss 
Mollie  F.  Brown,  of  Austin,  Tex. ;  Miss  Minnie 
Bomar,  of  Marshall,  Tex.;  and  Miss  Kate  C. 
McFarren,  for  some  time  in  the  employ  of 
the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions  in  South 
America,  were  accepted.  Miss  Brown  was 
appointed  to  Brazil,  and  Miss  McFarren  to 
Mexico.  Miss  Bomar  was  recommended  to  a 
training  school.  The  resignations  of  Miss 
Muse  and  Miss  Gilbert  were  accepted.  The 
Board  decided  to  publish  a  connectional 
juvenile  paper,  with  Miss  A.  M.  Barnes,  of 
Georgia,  editor;  the  salary  ($750)  to  be  paid 
for  the  ensuing  year  out  of  the  general 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


49 


treasury;  tlie  name  and  all  matters  pertain¬ 
ing  to  tlie  publication  of  said  juvenile  paper 
to  be  decided  by  tlie  editor  and  Publishing 
Committee.  Miss  Helm’s  resignation  as  Sec¬ 
retary  of  Home  Affairs  because  of  ill  health 
was  not  accepted,  but  a  year  of  rest  was 
granted  the  faithful  officer,  and  Mrs.  Nathan 
Scarritt  was  elected  to  discharge  the  duties  of 
the  office  during  the  time.  Mrs.  Scarritt  de¬ 
clining  to  serve,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Trueheart  was 
elected  by  the  Local  Board  to  relieve  Miss 
Helm  of  the  burdens  of  the  office. 

Miss  Lou  Philips,  late  missionary  of  the 
Board  in  China;  Miss  Mattie  Jones,  repre¬ 
sentative  from  Brazil;  and  Bev.  J.  J.  Meth- 
vin,  from  the  Indian  Territory,  by  their  ear¬ 
nest  words  and  thrilling  descriptions  of  the 
work,  its  growth  and  needs. ,  increased  the  zeal 
and  enthusiasm  of  the  Board.  With  much  re¬ 
gret  was  the  announcement  of  the  approach¬ 
ing  marriage  of  Dr.  Mildred  Philips  received, 
as  the  Board  would  thereby  be  deprived  of 
her  valuable  services.  The  resignation  of 
Mrs.  W.  G.  E.  Cunnyngham  as  Editor  of 
Leaflets  was  accepted  with  resolutions  of  re¬ 
gret  and  of  appreciation  of  her  six  years  of 
valuable  service  without  remuneration,  and 
Miss  Barnes  was  elected  her  successor.  The 
4 


50  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

amount  of  appropriations  for  the  coming 
year  was  $90,485. 

Miss  Belle  H.  Bennett  reported  for  the 
Scarritt  Bible  and  Training  School  success 
far  beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations. 
Five  years  had  been  allowed  by  the  generous 
donor  and  founder  of  the  institution  in  which 
to  collect  the  needed  $25,000.  In  two  years 
it  had  been  accomplished,  and  on  May  28 
“a  company  of  missionary  women  and  inter¬ 
ested  friends  had  assembled  at  the  site,  and 
after  solemn  religious  exercises  the  ground 
was  broken  and  actual  work  on  the  Training 
School  begun.”  Miss  Bennett  and  Mrs. 
Wightman  were  continued  as  agents,  and 
special  effort  promised  to  secure  Easter  offer¬ 
ings  for  the  benefit  of  the  Training  School. 

The  fourteenth  annual  session  of  the  Board 
convened  for  business  in  Lexington,  Ky., 
June  6,  1892,  with  the  President,  Mrs.  Juliana 
Hayes,  in  the  chair.  Every  officer,  all  the 
Managers  except  one,  24  Conference  Secreta¬ 
ries,  and  4  reserve  delegates,  a  total  of  40 
members,  answering  to  roll  call.  The  37 
Conference  Societies  numbered  3,404  Auxili¬ 
aries,  with  80,963  members.  There  were  be¬ 
ing  supported  29  missionaries:  in  China,  9; 
Mexico,  12;  Brazil,  8.  In  the  Indian  Mission 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


51 


teachers  only  were  employed.  Two  mission¬ 
aries  were  at  home  for  their  health;  seven 
young  women  had  been  accepted  within  the 
year,  and  $66,448.59  was  the  total  amount  of 
collections.  The  Woman's  Missionary  Advo¬ 
cate  was  prosperous,  and  the  new  juvenile 
paper,  the  Little  Worker ,  the  name  selected 
by  the  Editor  and  Publishing  Committee,  was 
pronounced  a  success.  In  China  the  work 
had  been  somewhat  interrupted  by  the  un¬ 
settled  condition  of  the  country,  but  38  na¬ 
tive  teachers  and  assistants,  2  Bible  women, 
and  669  children  under  instruction,  showed 
that  the  work  was  advancing,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  forced  reduction  of  the  number  of 
workers.  Loud  calls  for  help  came  from  this 
field.  These,  emphasized  by  the  presence  of 
Miss  Hughes,  were  answered  by  accepting 
and  appointing  to  it  Miss  Sallie  B.  Reynolds, 
of  South  Carolina,  and  Miss  Emma  Gary, 
of  Georgia.  Miss  Martha  Pyles,  of  Missou¬ 
ri;  Miss  Alice  Waters,  of  Tennessee;  Miss 
Sue  Blake,  of  Florida;  and  Miss  Minnie  Bo- 
mar,  of  Texas,  having  completed  the  several 
courses  assigned  them  by  the  Board;  and 
Mrs.  Julia  Gaither,  of  Georgia  (who  had 
been  accepted  by  the  Local  Board  and  ap¬ 
pointed  by  Bishop  Wilson  in  November  pre- 


52  Woman's  Missionary  Society, 

ceding,  but  was  prevented  by  unforeseen  cir¬ 
cumstances  from  sailing  at  the  time  expect¬ 
ed),  were  also  recommended  to  reenforce  the 
feeble  band  in  China,  and  $29,345  was  appro¬ 
priated  to  that  field.  Of  this  reenforcement, 
Miss  Haygood  wrote:  “We  had  the  great  joy 
of  receiving  them  October  18,  1892.  It  hap¬ 
pened  that  one  or  two  of  the  ladies  were  not 
on  deck  as  the  steamer  neared  the  wharf. 
Yon  would  have  faintly  realized  what  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  one  of  the  eight  would  have  meant 
to  us  if  you  could  have  heard  the  call  to  Miss 
Hughes,  ‘Are  you  all  there  ?  ’  and  could  have 
felt  the  relief  that  came  with  the  answer, 
‘Yes,  we  are  all  here!  ’  We  had  a  delightful 
and  profitable  meeting  at  McTyeire  Home  the 
following  evening,  with  all  our  sixteen  ladies 
present,  and  Bishop  Key  presiding.  .  .  . 

We,  the  old  guard,  ‘  thank  God  and  take  cour¬ 
age’  because  of  their  coming.”  Miss  Jennie 
Atkinson,  having  given  eight  years  of  faithful 
service  to  the  work  in  China,  was  granted 
leave  to  return  home  for  a  season. 

Amid  many  difficulties  and  some  discour¬ 
agements  in  Mexico,  it  appeared  that  the  true 
religion  of  the  Bible  was  overcoming  the  er¬ 
rors  of  popery.  There  were,  in  addition  to 
the  twelve  missionaries,  16  assistants  and  7 


M,  E.  Church ,  South. 


53 


native  teachers,  while  935  women  and  chil¬ 
dren  were  being  taught  in  the  excellent 
schools  which  had  been  established  in  seven 
towns  and  cities.  Miss  Delia  Holding,  who 
for  ten  years  had  given  faithful  service  as  a 
teacher ,  was  accepted  and  assigned  as  a  mis¬ 
sionary  to  the  Mexican  Border.  Miss  Wilson, 
missionary  from  Chihuahua;  Miss  Mason,  a 
teacher  in  the  'school  at  Saltillo;  and  Miss 
Holderby,  once  a  teacher  in  Laredo,  in  simple, 
earnest  wTords  presented  forcibly  the  needs  of 
Mexico.  The  appropriation  for  the  ensuing 
year  was  $33,940. 

In  Brazil  the  woman’s  work  was  established 
in  Piracicaba,  Rio,  and  Juis  de  Bora. 
There  were  3  boarding  schools  in  successful 
operation,  and  215  pupils  enrolled..  Yellow 
fever  had  hindered  the  work,  and  there  was 
imperative  need  that  two  of  the  workers 
should  return  home  for  rest  and  recuperation. 
Miss  Alice  Moore,  of  Georgia;  Miss  Susan 
Littlejohn,  of  South  Carolina;  and  Miss 
Amelia  Elerding,  of  Wisconsin,  were  accepted 
and  assigned  to  Piracicaba,  Rio,  and  Juis 
de  Fora,  with  an  appropriation  for  Brazil  of 
$11,600.  Permission  was  granted  Misses 
Bruce  and  Marvin  to  return  home  to  regain, 
if  possible,  sufficient  strength  for  the  prose- 


54  Woman’s  Missionary  Society, 

cution  of  their  work,  and  Miss  Watts  was  also 
granted  leave  to  come,  should  her  health  re¬ 
quire  the  change. 

In  the  Indian  Mission  the  work  had  pro¬ 
gressed  without  interruption.  Almost  every 
needed  improvement  asked  for  was  granted. 
The  total  amount  of  appropriations  for  the 
year  was  $86,810,  of  which  $5,425  was  appro¬ 
priated  to  the  wild  tribes.  A  few  changes 
were  made  in  the  By-laws,  a  revision  of  the 
“  Manual  for  Missionaries  ”  ordered,  a  commit¬ 
tee  appointed  to  revise  the  Constitution  and 
submit  the  same  to  the  following  annual 
meeting  of  the  Board,  and  a  resolution  adopt¬ 
ed  that  will  bring  all  missionaries  going  into 
China  and  Brazil  home  to  rest  at  the  end  of 
seven  years.  Miss  Helm  again  tendering  her 
resignation,  it  was  accepted,  and  suitable  res¬ 
olutions  of  appreciation  of  her  valuable  serv¬ 
ices  were  adopted.  Mrs.  S.  C.  Trueheart  was 
elected  Secretary  of  Home  Affairs.  Bev.  C. 
F.  Reid,  missionary  from  China,  enthusiastic¬ 
ally  presented  the  great  needs  of  that  great 
country. 

Mrs.  Callaway  presented  a  memorial  from 
the  North  Georgia  Conference  Society,  pe¬ 
titioning  the  Board  to  enter  Japan.  Mrs. 
Philips  presented  a  memorial  from  the  Flor- 


M.  E.  Church ,  South . 


55 


ida  Conference  Society  to  establish  a  school 
in  Key  West.  The  Board  decided  that 
“  Japan  is  an  inviting  field,  which  commands 
our  sympathies  and  incites  our  desires  to  en¬ 
ter;  but  obligations  to  work  already  begun  in 
other  fields  must  be  fully  met  before  work 
can  be  undertaken  in  any  mission  not  hitherto 
occupied  by  the  Woman’s  Board.” 

The  telegram  from  Bev.  W.  B.  Palmore 
asking  the  Board  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
investigate  the  West  Indies  with  a  view  to 
entering  that  field  received  due  consideration. 

Dr.  Palmore  had,  in  a  tangible  form,  shown 
his  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions,  and  his  suggestions,  en¬ 
kindled  by  his  missionary  zeal,  were  gratefully 
received;  but  because  of  the  large  demand 
upon  the  resources  of  the  Board,  and  also  by 
reason  of  its  policy  to  work  only  in  fields  oc¬ 
cupied  by  the  General  Board,  they  could  not 
be  acted  upon. 

A  communication  from  Mrs.  J.  E.  Bay,  Su¬ 
perintendent  of  the  Woman’s  Christian  Tem¬ 
perance  Union  Department  of  Home  and  For¬ 
eign  Missions  to  the  Colored  People,  was  con¬ 
sidered. 

Much  interest  is  felt  in  this  people,  and  as 
far  as  comes  within  the  scope  of  the  organ i- 


56  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

zation  it  will  assist  them  in  forming  societies 
for  the  spread  of  the  gospel  among  their  race.* 

Letters  from  missionaries  in  the  field  ask¬ 
ing  for  a  construction  of  the  “pledge”  taken 
by  missionary  candidates  were  referred  to  a 
subcommittee.  This  committee,  after  labor¬ 
ing  in  vain  to  find  plainer  language  in  which 
to  express  the  meaning  of  this  pledge,  brought 
in  the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopt¬ 
ed  by  the  Committee  on  Extension  of  Work: 

Resolved ,  That  as  we  interpret  this  pledge,  every  can¬ 
didate  who  signs  it  promises  to  give  not  less  than  five 
years’  service  to  this  Board.  Nor  do  we  regard  the  re¬ 
funding  of  outfit  and  passage  money  as  canceling  this 
obligation.  Mrs.  C.  W.  Brandon, 

Mrs.  W.  G.  E.  Cunnyngham. 

A  communication  was  read  from  Dr.  I.  G. 
John,  Secretary  of  the  Parent  Board  of  Mis¬ 
sions  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South,  accompa¬ 
nying  the  following  resolutions,  which  had 
been  adopted  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Missions,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
held  in  the  Mission  Booms  Saturday,  May  4, 
11  A.M.: 

Whereas  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  will  hold  its  four¬ 
teenth  annual  meeting  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  beginning 
June  6;  and  whereas  their  great  work  and  the  work 


M.  L\  Church ,  South. 


57 


of  this  Board  are  indissolubly  united  in  effort  and  de¬ 
sign;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  rejoice  over  the  tokens  of  divine 
approbation  that  have  attended  their  work  in  the  dif¬ 
ferent  fields  they  have  entered,  and  devoutly  trust 
that  divine  wisdom  and  grace  will  guide  their  deliber¬ 
ations  at  their  coming  session,  and  that  every  measure 
they  shall  adopt  shall  yield  large  results  in  the  work 
of  our  Lord  in  lands  of  superstition  and  sin. 

Resolved ,  That  we  rejoice  that  it  is  our  privilege,  in 
any  way,  to  “  help  those  women  ”  in  the  great  work  to 
which  they  have  been  called,  and  will  not  cease  our 
prayers  that  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  will  be  with 
all  the  work  of  the  Board  and  its  officers,  and  with 
those  consecrated  women  whom  they  are  sending  out 
in  our  Master’s  service  in  the  foreign  field. 

Resolved ,  That  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  this 
Board  is  hereby  instructed  to  send  a  copy  of  these  res¬ 
olutions  to  the  Woman’s  Board  while  in  annual  ses¬ 
sion  at  Lexington,  Ky. 

In  presenting  to  each,  member  of  the  Board 
a  set  of  the  “Missionary  Hand  Books,”  as  far 
as  issued  from  the  press,  Dr.  John  said:  “The 
next  number  should  embrace  a  brief  history 
of  the  origin  and  work  of  the  Woman’s  Board. 
It  is  proper,  however,  that  your  Board  should 
choose  its  own  historian.  If  a  history  corre¬ 
sponding  in  size  with  those  now  in  print  can 
be  furnished,  I  will  be  glad  to  embrace  it  in 
the  series,  assuming  all  cost  of  publication.” 

On  motion  of  Mrs.  Phillips,  Mrs.  W.  S. 


58  Woman's  Missionary  Society, 

Black,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  North 
Carolina  Conference  Society,  was  appointed 
Historian,  to  prepare  a  brief  history  of  the 
origin  and  work  of  the  Woman’s  Board  of 
Missions  for  the  next  number  in  the  series  of 
“Hand  Books”  above  mentioned. 

A  communication  from  Bishop  Keener  was 
read,  suggesting  that  the  ‘‘Woman’s  Board 
would  do  a  grand  act  and  a  wise  one  to  send 
$25,000  to  Japan  for  the  relief  of  our  friends 
there  who  are  suffering  from  the  earthquake.” 
The  Secretary  was  directed  to  answer  Bishop 
Keener’s  letter,  assuring  him  of  the  apprecia¬ 
tion  by  the  Board  of  this  token  of  his  confi¬ 
dence,  and  regretting  its  inability  to  comply 
with  the  suggestion  of  the  honored  senior 
bishop  of  the  Church. 

Mrs.  Brandon  offered  the  following: 

Resolved ,  That  the  President  of  the  Woman’s  Board 
of  Missions  appoint  a  committee  of  five  on  Constitu¬ 
tion  and  By-laws  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Society; 
that  this  committee  be  instructed  to  indicate  the  du¬ 
ties,  powers,  and  prerogatives  of  the  Local  Board;  re¬ 
port  of  said  committee  being  subject  to  the  action  of 
the  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  at  the  next  annual 
meeting.  Mrs.  C.  W.  Brandon. 

This  resolution  was  adopted,  and  the  Pres¬ 
ident  appointed  said  committee  as  follows: 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Brandon,  Miss  Maria  Layng 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


59 


Gibson,  Mrs.  S.  S.  Park,  Mrs.  A.  H.  Strother, 
and  Mrs.  W.  G.  E.  Cunnyngham. 

Mr.  J.  D.  Hamilton,  after  years  of  “  un¬ 
wearying  kindness  and  faithful  service”  as 
Auditor,  resigning,  Mr.  T.  L.  Weaver,  of 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  was  elected  as  his  successor. 

At  the  memorial  service  held  as  a  tribute  to 
Mrs.  Florence  Malone,  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
tary  of  the  White  River  Conference  Society, 
and  Rev.  J.  W.  Lambuth,  of  Japan,  sweet, 
touching  testimonials  of  her  worth  and  char¬ 
acter  were  spoken  by  her  co-workers. 

The  Secretary  records: 

Miss  Gibson  read  the  tribute  to  Rev.  J. 
W.  Lambuth,  which  had  come  from  the  heart 
to  the  pen  of  Mrs.  W.  G.  E.  Cunnyngham,  so 
many  years  his  neighbor  while  a  missionary 
in  China. 

Rev.  C.  F.  Reid  added  his  tribute,  speaking 
strong  words  of  praise  of  the  veteran  mission¬ 
ary,  dwelling  chiefly  on  his  godly  life  and  his 
success  as  a  soul  winner. 

By  request,  Rev.  Walter  Lambuth  spoke 
of  his  father,  and  as  he  told  of  his  consecrat¬ 
ed  life  in  all  its  sweet  humility  no  one  won¬ 
dered  that  he  had  won  from  the  natives  the 
title  of  the  “God-man.” 

A  cause  of  thanksgiving  to  the  Board  and 


60  Woman's  Missionary  Society , 

to  the  Church  at  this  meeting  was  the  com¬ 
pletion  of  the  Scarritt  Bible  and  Training 
School  and  Its  equipment  for  %work.  An¬ 
nouncement  was  made  that  its  dedication 
and  opening  would  take  place  September  14, 
so  that  henceforth  the  Board  may  send 
thither  its  daughters  that  need  training,  that 
they  may  be  “thoroughly  furnished  unto 
every  good  work.” 

At  a  meeting  held  last  July  the  officers  of 
the  Board  of  Managers  elected  were:  Bishop 
E.  B.  Hendrix,  President;  Miss  Belle  H. 
Bennett,  Vice  President;  Mr.  J.  S.  Chick, 
Treasurer;  Mrs.  Julia  E.  Simpson,  Secretary. 

Miss  M.  L.  Gibson  was  elected  Principal; 
Miss  E.  E.  Holding,  Department  of  Bible 
Study;  Miss  E.  C.  Cushman,  Head  Nurse; 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Waldron,  Matron. 

Mrs.  Butler  was  reelected  Editor  of  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Advocate  and  Miss 
Barnes  of  the  Little  Worker  and  Leaflets. 

The  Treasurer’s  books  showed  that  $93,- 
991.73  was  on  deposit  in  the  First  National, 
Commercial  National,  and  City  Savings  Bank, 
of  Nashville.  Total  amount  received  since 
organization,  $651,405.68.  Value  of  property 
owned  by  the  Board  (1891),  $176,300.  The 
Secretary  records  the  following: 


M.  E.  Church ,  South. 


61 


The  service  on  Thursday  night,  when  ten  mission¬ 
aries  were  presented  to  the  Board,  and  repeated  the 
pledge  in  the  presence  of  a  large  audience,  was  impress¬ 
ive,  and  inspired  a  doxology  from  those  who  had  been 
praying  for  women — a  glad  thanksgiving  that  God 
heareth  and  answereth  the  supplications  of  his  chil¬ 
dren.  Benedictions  were  silently  invoked  on  the  new 
missionaries  as  the  President  delivered  the  solemn 
charge  and  Rev.  C.  F.  Reid  addressed  them  as  his  fel- 
low-laborers  and  offered  his  congratulations.. 

Should  the  venerable  and  beloved  President 
be  spared  to  meet  with  the  Board  another 
year  (the  fifteenth  annual  meeting  blessed  by 
her  presence),  she  will  “wear  fourscore  years 
as  a  crown.”  Her  fourteenth  annual  address, 
most  appropriate  to  the  centennial  of  modern 
missions,  was  heard  by  six  persons  only  who, 
as  members,  listened  to  her  first  address 
as  President  of  the  Board  at  Louisville. 
God’s  blessing  has  crowned  the  years.  The 
language  of  each  consecrated  worker  is: 

“  Master,  to  do  great  work  for  thee,  my  hand  is  far 
too  weak ; 

Yet,  take  the  tiny  stones  that  I  have  wrought,  just  one 
by  one,  as  they  were  given  by  thee. 

Not  knowing  what  came  next  in  thy  wise  thought, 
Set  each  stone  by  thy  master  hand  of  grace ; 

Form  the  Mosaic  as  thou  wilt, 

And  in  thy  temple  pavement  give  it  place.” 


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